Public Comment at the TDA Board Meeting

This morning I attended the Tourism Development Authority (TDA) Board Meeting. I wanted the Board members to be aware that Asheville residents and service workers are paying attention to their response to the need for affordable parking and improved public transportation.

The meeting was temporarily disrupted when the TDA’s internet went down—hence my remarks about the importance of reliable infrastructure at the very beginning. (I refer to infrastructure throughout because the TDA will often say that by law it can only fund infrastructure. I believe it’s important to broaden our understanding of what counts as infrastructure.)

Union Action at Mission Hospital

What a great way to start the day: standing in support of the nurses of Mission Hospital in their demands for recruitment, retention, and safe staffing ratios from HCA!

As a community we should honor their hard work and respect their deep commitment to patient service and safety. And HCA should reward that commitment with a willingness to hire and retain enough nursing staff to ensure patients’ well-being and nurses’ reasonable capacity in a very demanding job.

[click images below to see them larger]